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Oh don’t even get me started on this subject………where do you draw the line, I understand that some of the immigrants are so desperate to flee their homelands that they risk losing and do lose their life’s in the process……and then on the other hand we have immigrants who know our benefits system so well that they claim for multiple no existent families, we give family allowance to children that don’t even live in this country……now that cannot be right…….would I do the same……..of course I would want my family to be fed, warm and in a place of safety, who wouldn’t, but considering the fact that our own people are now having to rely on food banks to survive, and most have paid into the system, then I guess I have to say charity begins at home……

I can’t speak for the UK as I don’t live there but what I do know is in the US the vast majority of immigrants, including all my grandparents, three of my aunts, both of my ex in-laws as well as my ex-husband, come to this country seeking a better life and work extremely hard to achieve one. Sometimes they succeed and sometimes they don’t. They take the jobs that native citizens don’t want. Those who abuse the system constitute a tiny minority and the entire group should not be painted with one brush.

Absolutely not. I have no problem with people coming from a depressed country seeking a better life. I have a huge issue with my tax dollars I work hard for being distributed to people such as described in the story. When is it right to “redistribute” the honest earnings of others to the deadbeats? It’s not only immigrants abusing the welfare-entitlement system. I say if you don’t pay taxes and have a means of self support you shouldn’t be allowed to accept ANY subsidies from the productive citizens. This is called redistributing of wealth and it’s completely wrong on every level. Just my 2cents.

I like to think I’m a caring person,I’d never hurt a fly and would go out of my way to help anyone in trouble or need. I welcome people into our country, if they are persecuted or badly treated because of colour,race or creed.I welcome people who are prepared to assimilate into our society,and are willing to discover and uphold our values.I welcome people who will work hard to improve their lifestyles and to become good citizens.I agree with Laurie that all immigrants should not be judged the same.My own family were immigrants,coming from Ireland in the 19th Century. Sadly some people do come here because our benefits are generous in their eyes, and they do milk the system.

When the distribution of wealth in the US is so obscenely distorted that the bottom 80% of the population owns only 11% of the nation’s wealth you tend to have a lot of people who qualify for government assistance.

As far as the “tiny minority” receiving, 49% is hardly a “tiny” percentage…….. H 49.2 percent of Americans received benefits from one or more government programs, according to data released Tuesday by the Census Bureau.

In total, the Census Bureau estimated, 151,014,000 Americans out of a population then estimated to be 306,804,000 received benefits from one or more government programs during the last three months of 2011. Those 151,014,000 beneficiaries equaled 49.2 percent of the population.

This included 82,457,000 people–or 26.9 percent of the population–who lived in households in which one or more people received Medicaid benefits.

Also among the 151,014,000 who received benefits from one or more government programs during that period: 49,901,000 who collected Social Security; 49,073,000 who got food stamps; 46,440,000 on Medicare; 23,228,000 in the Women, Infants and Children program, 20,223,000 getting Supplemental Security Income;13,433,000 who lived in public or subsidized rental housing; 5,098,000 who got unemployment; 3,178,000 who got veterans’ benefits; and 364,000 who got railroad retirement benefits.

When Obamacare is fully implemented on Jan. 1, 2014, Americans earning up to 400 percent of the poverty level will qualify for a federal subsidy to buy health insurance. ———————————————————————————————————– Obamacare has pushed us over the entitlements tipping point. In 2011 some 49.2 percent of U.S. households received benefits from one or more government programs—about 151 million out of an estimated 306.8 million Americans—according to U.S. Census Bureau data released last October. ————————————————————————————————————

A Nation of Government Dependents? 49% of U.S. Population Lives in Households Receiving Government Benefits Veronique de Rugy | Feb 06, 2012 Download publication pdf DOWNLOAD PUBLICATION PDF DOWNLOAD DATA POSTER-SIZE IMAGE SharePrintEmail This week Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow Veronique de Rugy examines the share of the U.S. population that live in a household with at least one member receiving government benefits using the Census Bureau’s data from the third quarter of 2010.

The red bar represents the percentage of the population living in a household receiving benefits from one or more federal and state programs. The green bar represents the share of the population receiving benefits from at least one means-tested program (a program that targets low-income people with non-welfare income) for food, housing, or children’s aid, etc. The blue bars give a breakdown of the population living in households receiving benefits from various federal programs. (Note that the bars do not add up to 100 percent because it is common for people to receive benefits from more than one program.)

In 2010, 49 percent — or nearly half — of the U.S. population lived in a household receiving government assistance. According to Investors.com, this percentage of the population has gone “up from 44 percent the year before Obama took office, and way up from 1983, when fewer than a third were government beneficiaries.”

Spending on entitlement programs is one of the main drivers to U.S. debt as such programs have the most recipients. Specifically, 16 percent of the population lived in a household receiving Social Security benefits, and 15 percent in a household receiving Medicare benefits. Medicaid benefits had the largest share of dependents, with 26 percent of the population living in a household receiving such benefits.

About 35 percent of Americans in 2010 lived in households that received benefits from at least one means-tested transfer program. Out of these programs, more than 46 million—or 15 percent of all Americans—lived in households receiving food stamps, 2 percent unemployment compensation, and 6 percent supplemental security income. The percent of the population living in a household receiving benefits for low-income families with children reached 8 percent, and those receiving temporary assistance for needy families reached 2 percent.

Means-tested welfare spending at both federal and state levels has grown faster than any other category of government spending. Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation found that annual spending for means-tested programs increased by nearly 300 percent between 1989 and 2008. According to Rector, the growth in means-tested aid “greatly exceeded the growth in government spending on education (143 percent) and defense (126 percent)” during this same time period.

The more people receive government assistance, the more difficult it will be to reform these programs. The majority of future federal spending will be to finance this growing nation of dependents.

What I said was that those who abuse the system constitute a tiny minority. And speaking as one who worked hard for many years and is now by necessity living on disability for many years, I hope neither you nor any of yours is ever forced to face this harsh reality. I wish you happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

Maize and Laurie, the article wasn’t speaking of those who came here and made a honest life for themselves. It is directed to them who abuse the system. As I stated in my earlier post, I have no problem with the honest immigrants. It’s the ones such as in the story only. No one is broad painting every immigrant.

I find it hard to completely condemn a man who takes advantage of a system that allows him legally to obtain enough funds to take care of his family in this way.

There but for fortune!

However, I do condemn a government that has allowed this sort of system to arise which involves making life harder for their own citizens partly because monies have gone to non citizens as well as contributing to the present deficit that everyone is being impacted by. Cuts are being made to citizens in part due to monies not having been managed wisely.

All i will say is that I also read a report that immigrants in this country pay more in taxes than claim in benefits! No I have no problem with immigrants. There are many UK people who have claimed benefits all their lives also. Many immigrants work hard and do jobs many UK unemployed turn their nose up at.

This is a real tough one…..I think every post here has a point,unfortunately in the UK the immigration entrance was relaxed a few years ago in a effort to aid the economy and provide a younger work force…apparently we are an ageing population.I have also read the same as Sunsip and it is fact that our National Health system would collapse without a immigrant work force……..but like other countries we are “broke”and have no money to provide a good infra structure to support the influx of non UK nationals (schools,housing etc) and the strain on resources is highlighted more now than in a buoyant economy and so the dissatisfaction grows.We are a small island after all. To answer Gaels question I believe what ever you have, needs a pay back and I would rather work than receive benefits. I was asked for change for a cup of tea (English born..I presume by his accent). I refused as as I looked up he was sitting under a huge banner that was advertising “packers wanted urgently”If that was me….blow the cup of tea I would be up those stairs and say “give us a job”

Another element in all this is the embarassing fact that in many situations immigrants will take work that the citizens turn their nose up at.

But for me ultimately the blame lies at the doorstep of the system that has allowed so much needed funds to leave the country in this manner. The price is being paid now for that.

Interestingly, when I immgrated to the UK I had to pay and pay through visas (financee visa, limited leave to remain, indefinite leave to remain) at a fee of several hundred pounds each time because I was non EU.

This whole discussion begs the question as to whether it pays for Britian to stay in the EU doesn’t it?

Yes Gael, and that is another topic for discussion, one i was having the other day………..ermm…….. looking that maybe it was not a wise decision to join after all, how much say do we really get in anything…..?

If an immigrant is legitimately (legally) entitled to a payment from the state, he/she should be free to spend it anyway they like. If you have a problem with the generosity of the state, take it up with your representatives in the government.

I agree with Gael’s comments, don’t blame the individual but the politicians for supporting the current system of welfare. People ignore the consequences of allowing millions more to come to the UK, these include shortages in housing, schools, hospital, increased road congestion, airport expansion and above all cultural change. We are a very small island with limited space. Time for those who do not care about controlling immigration to say how many more millions they would accept and how they are to be sustained. Providing food will once again become a worldwide issue as natural global disasters strike. Time also for the UK to leave the European Community and become an independent free nation once again.

This discussion has changed tack and has moved to the subject of the UK exiting the EU. This would be an absolute disaster for the UK. I would caution anyone considering exit to become fully aware of what leaving would mean and not listen to the rhetoric spouted by politicians who advocate exit.